Women's Golf Nets Top-10 at Spring Opener
2/24/2020 2:35:00 PM | Women's Golf
Tigers Finish 10th at Westbrook; Freshman Bri Bolden Finishes Ninth
Peoria, AZ - The Mizzou Women's Golf Team collected a top-10 finish in their spring-opening tournament, as the Tigers finished 10th overall at the 2020 Westbrook Invitational, which wrapped up today at Westbrook Village Golf Course. Mizzou shot a 289 team score on Monday, to finish with a three-round total of 864 which marks a season-best 54-hole score, and that left MU just three shots behind 19th-ranked Illinois (ninth place, 861).
A pair of freshmen were instrumental in the top-10 showing, as Bri Bolden (Mokena, Ill.) turned in her first career top-10 finish thanks to a four-under par 68 Monday that put her in a tie for ninth overall with a career-best 209 total (68-73-68). Additionally, fellow freshman Sophia Yoemans (Red Wing, Minn.) fired a one-under par 71 Monday that included a clutch birdie on the par-3 11th hole - her final hole of the day - that pushed the Tigers into a tie for 10th place in the team standings.
Bolden's 54-hole total this week was 13 shots better than her previous low of 222 set in the fall (Johnie Imes Invitational), and it's also the first top-10 finish by a Tiger freshman since Jessica Yuen finished eighth in the 2016 Johnie Imes Invitational. Bolden started play Monday on the back nine, and was one under making the turn, but she caught fire late on the front nine, as she carded birdies on the fifth, eighth and ninth holes to post a three-under 33 for the outward nine. Bolden, who was the designee this week to carry the Folds of Honor bag honoring 1st Lieutenant William Anthony Edens, made 10 birdies in all over three rounds, with just three bogeys in her 54 holes.
"Today's round was pretty foggy for the first seven holes, and I wasn't putting it close and couldn't hit any putts," said Bolden. "Coach Coop gave me a pep talk to focus on only me out there and that is when I got things turned on. I was more relaxed from that point and just played my game. It was a great tournament and I hope to keep playing strong for the team going forward," she said.
Yoemans' 71 Monday was her seventh round of par or better this season, and her finishing birdie gave her five on the day and eight for the tournament. Her 54-hole total of 217 (72-74-71) tied her previous best, set in the fall at the Mason Rudolph Challenge.
Head Coach Stephanie Priesmeyer was pleased with her team's resiliency after what she described was a bit of a slow start to the day.
"We had a rough start on our first few holes this morning, but I liked how we settled down and made a few birdies to get back in the mix," she said. "Bri's finish today and then Sophia's birdie on her final hole was just what we needed. I'm really proud of Bri for staying calm and in the moment - she was that way all weekend and that allowed her to put together a great tournament. Sophia didn't have her best feel today but she did a great job of hanging in and scrambling to get some important up and downs," she said.
Junior Noelle Beijer (Assendelft, The Netherlands) was steady on Monday, coming in with a two-over 74 that put her in 32nd place individually with a three-round 216 (72-70-74). Beijer got her final round off to a big start on the back nine, as she birdied three of her first six holes.
Senior Cherise Otter (Bloomington, Ind.) tied for 63rd place individually at the Westbrook, with a three-round total of 222 (73-73-76), which was her second-lowest tournament score of the season thus far. Sophomore Keagan Dunn (Braselton, Ga.) rounded out the Tiger lineup, as she tied for 76th place overall, with a 227 (76-74-77) in her first start this season.
Overall, Mizzou improved by 10 shots from a year ago at the 2019 Westbrook Invitational, when the Tigers shot a team score of 874 and finished in 13th place. The Tigers will return home for a short spell before heading out later this week for their next outing, set for Feb. 29th-March 1st at the Florida State Match Up in Panama City, Fla.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Golf, stay tuned to www.MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MUWomensGolf) and on Facebook at MizzouWomensGolf.
Players Mentioned
